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We departed around 10 AM for our trip to The Raddison and a room for the day. Our Air Tahiti Nui flight was not until early evening. It rained most of the day, but, as it was Sunday, the Radisson served a wonderful brunch. Beside the usual, there was a plate loaded with sashimi. I filled up.

Traffic jammed the road to the airport. It was Election Day and we moved only inches at a time. Papeete only has one road through town to the terminal, and every car and truck in French Polynesia was going one way or the other. When we passed a polling place, I got it. In Papeete, you not only vote, you eat, you gossip. It’s like a humongous family picnic.

Sunday and Election Day preordained closure of the airport bar, along with the café. So we sat and waited, mostly non conversational, deep in thought.

Luckily, my upgrade with ATN came through and I flew business class back to Los Angeles. I can’t tell you how good that spicy Bloody Mary tasted, or more truthfully, Bloody Marys.

We arrived at LAX along with the sun, landing on time. Immigration was a breeze, and in less than 20 minutes I was at the curb. It was chilly. My wife, Michael, was thirty minutes late picking me up. There was a freeway traffic jam.